the Lord's words, Mark cannot well be blamed for simply recording what things he remembered, however few." Matthew, he says, "transcribed the sayings (Aóya) in the Hebrew dialect, and every one interpreted them as best he could.”

These statements of Papias have been variously understood, and, seeing that they are only fragments, must be interpreted with caution. Mr. Hall sides with those who regard them as showing that Papias did not have our Gospels of Mark and Matthew, and that such documents as he had (which he does not call Gospels) he did not regard as the only sources of information. Mr. Hall is not blind to the fact that there are certain difficulties in this view; thus, Papias, as far as the account goes, does not mention the Epistles of Paul, though it is certain that they were written long before his time, and it seems probable that they circulated in Phrygia, in which region Paul, according to the Book of Acts, had traveled and preached. In spite of this difficulty and others, Mr. Hall's conclusion is that "the language of Papias, on its face, applies far better to floating Gospel traditions in early process of formation than to authenticated records already sifted and edited." He pursues the same method with Papias's contemporaries, and reaches, from their writings, a similar conclusion. There were early narratives, he holds, which bore the names of Matthew and Mark, besides the Gospel of the Hebrews and the Gospel of Peter, but none of these were generally recognized as authoritative and final, — they were the beginnings from which our Synoptic Gospels grew by a slow process of accretion and revision. Into the history of this growth he does not go; he does not attempt to define the "Ur-Marcus" which plays so prominent a part in modern critical discussions. He confines himself to setting forth the fluid form of the Christian tradition at the moment when we first meet it in the writings of contemporaries. It is impossible in a short notice to do justice to the force of his presentation of the facts. Its point is that, neglecting the traditions of authorship given by Irenaeus and other relatively late writers, he rests his argument on the attitude of Papias and his contemporaries toward the written and oral testimonies to the Christian faith.

Mr. Hall's treatment of the Fourth Gospel (the "Mystic Gospel," as he calls it) is no less fresh and suggestive. The literature devoted to this book makes a library in itself; there is espe

cially the question whether Justin was acquainted with it, whether in the First Apology he quotes from it. On this point Mr. Hall touches lightly. His chapter is devoted to a description of the thought and style of the Gospel,—its philosophical, unterrestrial, spiritual tone. This is the sort of treatment that is most useful to the general reader. For the literary and spiritual comprehension of the book it is of small importance whether it was written by the Apostle John, the Presbyter John, or some other, or whether it was composed in the first century or the second; it is of importance to apprehend the author's point of view, his conception of the Christ and of religion, and it is this that Mr. Hall's description helps us to understand. No New Testament book has suffered more at the hands of commentators, who have attempted to harness or pigeon-hole the exalted moods of the Evangelist, and have lost the delicate touches of his spiritual imagination. We must welcome any criticism that throws this exegetical rubbish overboard, and brings us face to face with the author's mind. And it need hardly be added that Mr. Hall, with all his critical freeness, is thoroughly in sympathy with the spiritual thought of the Gospels.

To those who have thought of the early Christian beliefs as forming a unitary and consistent creed, the picture here given of the theological theories and speculations of the second century will be a surprise. Its form of Millenarianism and its systems of Gnosticism are so far removed from our modes of thought that it requires an effort for us to put ourselves en rapport with them. They are usually treated cavalierly as heresies, and heresies they became when the creed of the Church was definitely formulated. But Mr. Hall points out that in the first half of the second century they were opinions held by large bodies of Christians, and as much entitled as any others to be called Christian.

In all the points discussed in this volume Mr. Hall, as has been said, is in agreement with a certain group of recent writers; but it is doubtful whether any one else has given so clear and interesting a biographical sketch of the thought of the early times, or so vivid a picture of the process by which the Church gradually felt its way to a well-defined body of theological views. His volume, while it is popular in form, is really a valuable scientific contribution to the literary history of the times. C. H. Toy.

COMPARISONS: 1869-1899.

ON May 18 President Eliot completed thirty years of service as head of Harvard University. His administration has exceeded in length that of all his predecessors except Edward Holyoke, who was elected Sept. 28, 1737, and died June 1, 1769, — a period of 31 years 8 months and 3 days. Harvard presidents have not, as a rule, had long terms. Beside Presidents Holyoke and Eliot, only Joseph Willard held office for more than twenty years, and in this century there have been no fewer than ten presidents, viz: Joseph Willard, 1781-1804; Samuel Webber, 1806-10; J. T. Kirkland, 1810-28; Josiah Quincy, 1829-45; Edward Everett, 1846-49; Jared Sparks, 1849-53; James Walker, 1853-60; C. C. Felton, 1860-62; Thomas Hill, 1862-68; C. W. Eliot, 1869.

Five years ago, to commemorate President Eliot's quarter-centennial, the Graduates' Magazine printed a brief article comparing the Harvard of 1869 with the Harvard of 1894. It may be interesting now to bring the comparison down to date; for five years are more than a college generation, and since 1894 at least 5000 new names have been added to the list of Harvard's students; and even in these five years, although there has been no important structural change in the University, many events have occurred which mark the close of the old conditions or the triumphant extension of the new.

Referring to the College Catalogue for 1868-69, we find that the Corporation which elected President Eliot consisted of J. A. Lowell, George Putnam, G. T. Bigelow, F. B. Crowninshield, Nathaniel Thayer, and the treasurer, Nathaniel Silsbee. These are all dead, and 14 Fellows, including the present six, have succeeded them, viz: Francis Parkman, E. W. Hooper, Martin Brim. mer, J. H. Thayer, J. Q. Adams, Alexander Agassiz, W. C. Endicott, E. W. Gurney, F. L. Ames, H. P. Walcott, H. L. Higginson, Samuel Hoar, F. C. Lowell, A. T. Cabot, and C. F. Adams, 2d. Mr. Adams, the last named, takes the place of Mr. Hooper, who retired last year after a service of 22 years as treasurer.

The Board of Overseers in 1869 comprised the following: E. E. Hale, W. A. Richardson, N. B. Shurtleff (Secretary), L. R. Thayer, R. T. Robinson, J. C. Ropes, D. H. Mason, Francis

Cogswell, James Walker, R. S. Rotch, R. H. Dana, G. M. Brooks, J. W. Bacon, James Lawrence, T. B. Thayer, G. W. C. Noble, Wm. Gray, J. F. Clarke, D. E. Ware, Samuel Eliot, R. W. Emerson, Seth Sweetser, F. E. Parker, Henry Lee, J. I. Bowditch, E. R. Hoar, J. H. Clifford (President), Francis Parkman, Theodore Lyman, C. W. Eliot. Of these, only three, Dr. E. E. Hale, J. C. Ropes, and President Eliot, are members of the board this year.

The College Faculty at the time of President Eliot's election consisted of 23 members, as follows: A. P. Peabody, Benjamin Peirce, Francis Bowen, Joseph Lovering, H. W. Torrey, E. A. Sophocles, J. R. Lowell, F. J. Child, G. M. Lane, James Jennison, J. P. Cooke, W. W. Goodwin, E. W. Gurney, E. J. Cutler, J. M. Peirce, J. B. Greenough, W. H. Appleton, Prentiss Cummings, Isaac Flagg, E. P. Seaver, E. A. Hill, L. C. Lewis, T. S. Perry. In 1899 only Professors Goodwin, J. M. Peirce, and Greenough are left; Prof. J. K. Paine was an instructor, but not a member of the Faculty, 30 years ago. Professor Goodwin, who now heads the list of teachers in active service, on the basis of collegiate seniority, was 37th on the list of officers of instruction and government in 1868; Professor Paine, who was then last, is now 14th. During the past five years, Professors Child and Lane have died and Norton has retired. No members of the '69 Law School Faculty remain, and of the '69 Medical School Faculty Dr. J. C. White alone is still in service. Since 1894, Dean Langdell has retired from the deanship of the Law School, and been succeeded by J. B. Ames; Dr. T. H. Chandler, dean of the Dental School, has died, his successor being Dr. E. H. Smith; Alexander Agassiz, after being nearly thirty years at the head of the University Museum, and giving to it and for the general purposes of the College over $750,000, has retired; Justin Winsor, who in his 20 years' service as librarian transformed the library, has died and his place is now filled by W. C. Lane. In the Divinity School, only Dean C. C. Everett survives of the five teachers of 1869.

Among the great lights at Harvard when Mr. Eliot became president should be mentioned Louis Agassiz, Benjamin Peirce, Asa Gray, J. R. Lowell, and Dr. O. W. Holmes, all of whom have passed away. Dead, too, is that group of professors

Francis Bowen, in philosophy, H. W. Torrey, in history, Joseph Lovering, in physics, E. A. Sophocles in Greek, J. P. Cooke, in chemistry, G. M. Lane, in Latin, E. W. Gurney, in history, F. J. Child, in English, and Dr. A. P. Peabody, pastor and general friend-whose work fell partly in the old generation and partly in the new, extending in some cases almost down to the present. To how many decades of college classes were they the living embodiment of Harvard!

The Catalogue of 1869 sets down an undergraduate's expenses as ranging from $349 to $572; at present the lowest estimate is $358, the "liberal" estimate $565, a reduction in both cases over the 1894 estimate. In 1869 anthracite coal cost $10, cannel $20, and Sydney $14 per ton; hard wood $14, soft wood $10 per cord, exclusive of sawing and splitting. Fuel and books were still charged on the term bills. Commons, or the Thayer Dining Club, founded in 1864, still used the old railroad station near the site of the present Law School. Prayers were compulsory. In the College Yard, Thayer, Weld, Matthews, had not been built, and Dane Hall was just about to undergo one of its periodic alterations.

The following buildings have been erected during the period under review, or are now begun. The date and approximate cost are also given: —